Grade 2 Introduction to History and Social Science: Focus on the United States of America

The standards for second-grade students include an introduction to the lives of Americans and their contributions to the United States as well as the heritage of the American Indians, past and present. Students should continue developing map skills and demonstrate an understanding of basic economic concepts. The students will identify selected American individuals who have worked to improve the lives of American citizens. The students will recognize that the United States is a land of people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans by common principles

Skills

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by a) identifying artifacts and primary and secondary sources to understand events in American history; b) using basic map skills to locate places on maps and globes to support an understanding of American history; c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of

American history; d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; e) comparing and contrasting people, places, or events in American history; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships; g) making connections between past and present; h) using a decision-making model to make informed decisions; i) practicing good citizenship skills and respect for rules and laws while collaborating, compromising, and participating in classroom

activities; and j) defending positions orally and in writing, using content vocabulary.

Thinking Map Images for Copying and Pasting

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a Google

Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment,

and intervention)

Q 1

(Geography) SOL 2.6 The student will develop map skills by using globes and maps of the world and the United States to locate: a) the seven continents

and the five oceans; b) the equator, the Prime

Meridian, and the four hemispheres; and

c) major rivers, mountain ranges, lakes, and other physical features in the United States. Terms to Know:

- Land: The solid surface of the Earth

- continent: A large body of land on the Earth

- equator: An imaginary line around the middle of the Earth that divides it into Northern and Southern Hemispheres

- Prime meridian: An imaginary line that divides the Earth into the Eastern and Western Hemispheres

- Hemisphere: Half of a sphere (globe); created by the prime meridian or the equator

The Seven Continents

- North America

Maps can be used to locate land and water features. Maps and globes help people study the Earth.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

b) using basic map skills to locate places on maps and globes to support an understanding of American history; c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history;

SOL 2.6 Resources Websites: Maps: Look & Name Interactive Atlas Continents & Oceans Map Skills Thinking Maps:

- South America - Europe - Asia - Africa - Australia - Antarctica

The Five Oceans

- The Arctic Ocean - The Atlantic Ocean - The Indian Ocean - The Pacific Ocean - The Southern Ocean

The Four Hemispheres

- Northern - Southern - Eastern - Western

Selected Rivers, Mountain Ranges, and Lakes in the United States

- The James River - The Mississippi River - The Rio Grande - The Appalachian Mountains - The Rocky Mountains - The general area of the Great

Lakes

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a Google

Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment,

and intervention)

(Civics) SOL 2.11 The student will explain the responsibilities of a good citizen, with

A good citizen has a variety of responsibilities. A good citizen understands the

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis,

SOL 2.11 Resources Websites:

emphasis on a) respecting and

protecting the rights and property of others;

b) taking part in the voting process when making classroom decisions;

c) describing actions that can improve the school and community;

d) demonstrating self-discipline and self-reliance;

e) practicing honesty and trustworthiness; and

f) describing the purpose of rules and laws. Responsibilities of a Good Citizen

- Respecting and protecting the rights and property of others

- Taking part in the voting process when making classroom decisions

- Describing actions that can improve the school and community

- Demonstrating self-discipline and self-reliance

- Practicing honesty and trustworthiness

Terms to Know:

- Rules: Guidelines for how people should act or behave

- Laws: Important rules written and carried out by the

need for rules and laws. economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; h) using a decision-making model to make informed decisions; i) practicing good citizenship skills and respect for rules and laws while collaborating, compromising, and participating in classroom activities; j) defending positions orally and in writing, using content vocabulary.

Citizenship Thinking Maps:

government The purpose of rules and laws is to keep people safe and maintain order

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a Google

Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment,

and intervention)

(Civics) SOL 2.12 The student will understand that the people of the United States of America a) make contributions to

their communities; b) vote in elections; c) are united as Americans

by common principles; and

d) have the individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness as well as equality under the law. People contribute to their community by practicing the responsibilities of good citizens. Voters in the United States elect officials to make decisions for them in the national government.

The people of the United States contribute to their community by practicing the responsibilities of good citizens.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; h) using a decision-making model to make informed decisions; i) practicing good citizenship skills and respect for rules and laws while collaborating, compromising, and participating in classroom activities; j) defending positions orally and in writing, using content vocabulary.

SOL 2.12 Resources Websites: Vote Thinking Maps:

People share the principles of respecting and protecting the rights and property of others, participating in school and community activities, demonstrating self-discipline and self- reliance, and practicing honesty and trustworthiness.

The American people come from

different ethnic origins and different countries, but are united as Americans by the basic principles of a republican form of government, including individual rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and equality under the law.

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a Google

Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment,

and intervention)

(Civics) SOL 2.13 The student will understand the symbols and traditional practices that honor and foster patriotism in the United States of America by a) explaining the meaning

behind symbols such as the American flag, bald eagle, Washington Monument, and Statue of Liberty; and

b) learning the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance.

The United States has a national flag. The United States has a national pledge to the flag.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; h) using a decision-making model to make informed decisions; i) practicing good citizenship skills and respect for rules and laws while

SOL 2.13 Resources Websites: Pledge of Allegiance Brainpop Symbols Thinking Maps:

American Symbols

- American Flag - Bald Eagle - Washington Monument - Statue of Liberty

The United States has a national pledge to the flag. "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

collaborating, compromising, and participating in classroom activities; and j) defending positions orally and in writing, using content vocabulary.

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a Google

Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment,

and intervention)

Q 2

(History) SOL 2.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the United States by describing important developments and innovations in United States history, including developments and innovations related to communication and transportation. Terms to Know:

- community: A place where people live, work, and play

- innovation: Something new or different

- communication: A way of sending information to people

- transportation: A way of

Innovations in the methods of communication and modes of transportation have changed the way that people live and work. Communities change over time for a variety of reasons.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

e) comparing and contrasting people, places, or events in American history; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships; g) making connections between past and present;

SOL 2.2 Resources Websites: Transportation Travel Transportation Timeline Thinking Maps:

moving people and things from one place to another

- population: The number of people living in a community

Over time in United States history, important developments and innovations in communication and transportation occurred. The way people live today is different from the way people lived long ago. New inventions have led to changes in buildings, jobs, transportation, and populations of communities over time. Communication systems over time in United States history include:

- Telegraph - Telephone - Radio - Television - Cell phone - Internet

Transportation systems over time in United States history include:

- Horses - Covered wagons - Steamboats - Railroad - Automobiles - Airplanes

Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars Resources

(for instruction, assessment,

Essential Knowledge (Instructions for linking to a Google Doc)

and intervention)

(History) SOL 2.3 The student will compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with emphasis on a) the Powhatan of the

Eastern Woodlands; b) the Lakota of the Plains;

and c) the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest. Terms to Know:

- culture: The beliefs, customs, and way of life of a group of people

- region: Places that have common (the same) characteristics

- environment: Surroundings

Contributions of American Indians:

- Arts (pottery, weaving, carving)

American Indian people have lived in Virginia and in other regions of America for thousands of years. American Indians developed different cultures because they lived in different environments of North America. American Indians have made contributions to life in America and continue to make contributions in the present day.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

a) identifying artifacts and primary and secondary sources to understand events in American history; c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history; d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; e) comparing and contrasting people, places, or events in American history; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships; g) making connections between past and present; j) defending positions orally and in writing, using content vocabulary.

SOL 2.3 Resources Websites: Eastern Woodlands Build a Powhatan Canoe Different Tribes Thinking Maps:

- Knowledge of the environment

- Respect for nature - Farming of corn and tobacco

Changes in American Indian Cultures:

- American Indian cultures have changed over time.

- Today, American Indians live and work in Virginia and the United States.

Essential Knowledge

Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a Google

Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment,

and intervention)

(Geography) SOL 2.7 The student will locate and describe the relationship between the environment and culture of a) the Powhatan of the

Eastern Woodlands; b) the Lakota of the Plains;

and c) the Pueblo Indians of the Southwest. Ways People Related to their Environment:

- The Powhatan farmed, fished, hunted, used trees for homes and canoes, and gathered plants for food.

In the past and present, American Indians respect and protect the environments that make up their homelands.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic *decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

b) using basic map skills to locate places on maps and globes to support an understanding of American history; c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history; e) comparing and contrasting people,

SOL 2.7 Resources Thinking Maps:

- The Lakota moved around the

region to hunt for buffalo. They later used horses for transportation.

- The Pueblo people farmed the

land. They lived in villages in houses made of adobe (clay).

Climate Land

Eastern Woodlands (Powhatan)

Mild winters, hot, humid summers

Rivers, hills, mountains,coastland

Plains (Lakota)

Hot summers, harsh, cold winters

Plains, prairies, rolling hills

Southwest (Pueblo)

Hot days, cold nights, little rainfall

High flatlands

places, or events in American history; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships;

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a Google

Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment,

and intervention)

Q 3

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by: a) identifying artifacts and primary and secondary sources to understand events in American history; c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history; d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; e) comparing and contrasting people, places, or events in American history; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships; g) making connections between past and present; j) defending positions orally and in writing, using content vocabulary.

Selected individuals in the past made contributions that changed the lives of Americans.

(History) SOL 2.4 The student will describe how the contributions of selected individuals changed the lives of Americans, with emphasis on a) Christopher Columbus; b) Benjamin Franklin; c) Abraham Lincoln; d) George Washington

Carver; e) Helen Keller; f) Thurgood Marshall; g) Rosa Parks; h) Jackie Robinson; i) Cesar Chavez; and

j) Martin Luther King, Jr. Contributions of Selected Individuals:

- Christopher Columbus: He led the way for European exploration and colonization of the Americas.

- Benjamin Franklin: He proved

that electricity was present in lightning through his kite experiment. He started the first library and the first volunteer fire department in America.

- Abraham Lincoln: He was the

President of the United States who helped to free African American slaves.

- George Washington Carver: He

SOL 2.4 Resources Websites: Famous Americans Thinking Maps:

was an African American who studied science and plants. He became a teacher. He developed hundreds of uses for peanuts, sweet potatoes, and soybeans.

- Helen Keller: She overcame her

disabilities and worked to help others who were blind and deaf.

- Thurgood Marshall: He was a

lawyer who defended people at a time when not all people had equal rights. He was the first African American justice of the United States Supreme Court.

- Rosa Parks: She was an African

American woman who refused to give up her seat on a public bus as was required by law many years ago. She helped to bring about changes in laws and worked so that all people would have equal rights.

- Jackie Robinson: He was the

first African American player in the major leagues of baseball. His actions helped to bring about other opportunities for African Americans.

- Cesar Chavez: He was a Mexican American who worked to improve conditions

for farm workers.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.: He was an African American minister who worked so that all people would be treated fairly. He led peaceful marches and gave speeches.

Skill Focus and Exemplars

(Instructions for linking to a Google Doc)

Essential Understandings Essential Knowledge Resources

(for instruction, assessment, and intervention)

(History) SOL 2.5 The student will describe why United States citizens celebrate major holidays, including a) Martin Luther King, Jr.,

Day; b) George Washington Day

(Presidents’ Day); c) Memorial Day; d) Independence Day

(Fourth of July); e) Labor Day; f) Columbus Day; g) Veterans Day; and

h) Thanksgiving Day. Selected Holidays:

- Martin Luther King, Jr., Day: This is a day to remember an African American who worked so that all people would be treated fairly. It is observed in January.

United States citizens celebrate major holidays.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by: a) identifying artifacts and primary and secondary sources to understand events in American history; c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history; d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; e) comparing and contrasting people, places, or events in American history; g) making connections between past and present;

SOL 2.5 Resources Thinking Maps:

- George Washington Day

(Presidents’ Day): This is a day when we honor all presidents of the United States, especially George Washington. It is observed in February.

- Memorial Day: This is a day

for the recognition of and respect for Americans who died in wars while they were serving their country. It is observed in May.

- Independence Day (Fourth of

July): This is a day to remember when the United States became a new country. It is sometimes called America’s birthday. It is observed on July 4th.

- Labor Day: This is a day

dedicated to appreciating the contributions of the working class and how they help build our country’s strength. It is the first Monday of September.

- Columbus Day: This is a day to

remember Christopher Columbus, who led the way for European exploration and colonization of the Americas. It is observed in October.

- Veterans Day: This is a day for

the recognition of and respect for Americans who served in the military. It is observed in November.

- Thanksgiving Day: This is a

day to remember the sharing of the harvest with the American Indians. It is observed in November.

Essential Knowledge

Essential Understandings Skill Focus and Exemplars

(Instructions for linking to a Google Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment, and

intervention)

(Economics) SOL 2.8 The student will describe natural resources (water, soil, wood, and coal), human resources (people at work), and capital resources (machines, tools, and buildings). Terms to Know:

- natural resources: Materials that come directly from nature

- human resources: People working to produce goods and services

- capital resources: Goods made by people and used to produce other goods and services

Examples of Resources:

- Natural: Water, soil, wood, coal - Human: Farmers, miners, builders, painters - Capital: Hammers, computers, trucks, lawn

mowers, factory buildings

The three main types of resources are natural, human, and capital.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history; d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships;

SOL 2.8 Resources Thinking Maps:

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a

Google Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment, and

intervention)

(Economics) SOL 2.9 The student will distinguish between the use of barter and the use of money in the exchange for goods and services. Terms to Know:

- barter: The exchange of goods and services without the use of money money: Coins, paper bills, and checks used in exchange for goods and services

People acquire goods and services through barter or through the exchange of money.

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history; d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships;

SOL 2.9 Resources Websites: Schoolhouse Rock Barter History of Money Thinking Maps:

Essential Knowledge Essential Understandings

Skill Focus and Exemplars (Instructions for linking to a

Google Doc)

Resources (for instruction, assessment, and

intervention)

(Economics) SOL 2.10 The student will explain that scarcity (limited resources) requires people to make choices about producing and consuming goods and services.

People are both producers and consumers. People must make economic choices because resources are limited (scarcity).

2.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

c) using and creating graphs, diagrams, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events to support an understanding of American history; d) asking appropriate questions to solve a problem; f) recognizing direct cause-and-effect relationships;

SOL 2.10 Resources Websites: PBS Goods Made by People Thinking Maps:

SOL 2.1(a-j) Ideas for Implementing Understandings and Experiences

Essential Understandings Experiences may include but are not limited to…

2.1a - Identifying includes viewing and using information

sources to draw conclusions. - An artifact is an object or tool that tells us about the

people from the past. - A primary source is an artifact, document, image,

or other source of information that was created at the time under study.

- A secondary source is a document, image, or other source of information that relates or discusses information originally presented elsewhere.

2.1b

- Maps help develop an awareness of where places are located in American history.

- Maps use directionality and symbols to identify or indicate a location.

- Geographic information obtained from maps supports an understanding of American history.

- Using simple maps develops an awareness of how places have changed from the past to the present in the United States.

2.1a - Use a picture of pottery to make observations, ask

questions and draw conclusions about the life of the Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo people.

- Use images of communication and/or transportation to describe important developments and innovations in United States history.

- Display an early map of the United States and compare it to a current map of the United States.

- Display pictures of people working in the past and present. Ask questions about how jobs and resources have changed over time.

- View images of American symbols (Washington Monument and the Statue of Liberty) from long ago and compare them to images of today.

2.1b - Use information found on a map to ask questions

and draw conclusions about American history. - Use a United States map to discuss map elements

such as directionality, and symbols. - Construct or label a simple map to show the location

of select rivers, mountain ranges, and lakes in the United States.

- Use a map or globe to compare how people adapt to the environment to satisfy their wants.

2.1c - Graphs, diagrams, and pictures help students

develop an understanding of people, places, or events in American history.

2.1c - Use a Venn diagram to organize information about

transportation in the past and the present. Create a class Venn diagram to compare the information gathered.

- Use images of historical figures in American history to sort by specified characteristics.

- Create a chart about American Indian cultures that includes pictures or descriptions of their land, resources, food, shelter, or clothing.

- Gather information about natural, human, and capital resources used during a school day. Create a class graph to determine which type of resource was used most often.

- Create a diagram of how people have made contributions to their communities over time.

2.1d - Asking a variety of questions takes learning further

and deepens our understanding. - Asking questions involves making observations

about the world and framing them as inquiries to solve a problem.

2.1d - Ask questions before, during, and after reading

about how the contributions of selected individuals impacted the lives of americans.

- Generate questions before voting to make class decisions.

- Generate questions about an artifact or image to determine its purpose, use, and time period.

- Use images of different locations in the United States to generate questions about problems the inhabitants faced.

- Examine choices made by influential people in United States history and ask, “Why did they make this choice?” and “Was it a good decision?”

2.1e - Comparing and contrasting examine similarities

and differences among people, places, or events. - Communities in the United States have different

physical and cultural characteristics.

2.1e - Create a class Venn diagram to compare the lives of

famous Americans. - Create physical models that reflect the culture and

geography of the homes of American Indian cultures and describe how they are similar and different.

- Describe the similarities and differences between why we celebrate holidays in the United States such as Labor Day and Memorial Day.

- Create a graphic organizer to compare how holidays in the United States are celebrated.

2.1f - A cause-and-effect relationship is a relationship in

which one event (the cause) makes another event happen (the effect).

- Identifying cause-and-effect relationships helps us understand specific events in United States history.

- Cause-and-effect relationships can be observed in local, state, and national history.

2.1f - Create a flowchart to show how types of

communication and transportation developed over time (letters, telegraph, telephone, cell phone). Discuss how each invention built upon what came before.

- Use a cause-and-effect or flow chart to show how selected famous Americans caused the present to be different from the past.

- Use information about the location, climate, and physical surroundings of different American Indian cultures to discuss how each of these affected their homes,

occupations, and transportation. - Draw pictures to show how limited resources affect

people’s choices about producing and consuming goods and services.

- Discuss how the traits of a good citizen affect classroom activities.

2.1g - Everyday life in the United States today is different

from everyday life long ago. - People, events, and developments have brought

changes to the United States.

2.1g - Survey family members or school officials to

determine how they celebrated different holidays when they were in elementary school.

- Create or read a story where students predict how life in the United States today would be different without technology such as the Internet, cell phones, and computers.

- Create or gather images that illustrate acts of bartering. Create or gather images of using money to make purchases. Discuss the similarities and differences between bartering and using money.

- Create a flowchart to show how types of communication developed over time (letters -> telegraph ->telephone-> cell phone).

- Compare selected famous Americans to identify common characteristics that helped them create change.

- Use books, images, and Web sites to compare American Indians from long ago and today.

2.1h - Choices involve getting more of one thing by giving up something else. - All decisions involve costs and benefits. - A cost is what you give up when you decide to do

Something. - A benefit is what satisfies your wants. - Students make better choices when they consider the costs and benefits of

their decisions. - Decision-making models are used to make decisions for the future and to

better understand the decisions people made in the past.

2.1h - Use a decision-making model to discuss the costs

and benefits of the following: discuss decisions made by characters in children’s literature, decide which continent they would like to visit,, create a proposed action to improve the school or community.

- Create a product and participate in a marketplace simulation

- Create a product and participate in a marketplace simulation

- Sample Decision-Making Model

Decision to be Made:

Benefits

Costs

2.1i - Good citizens: collaborate to achieve shared goals, compromise to reach an

agreement, participate in classroom activities to demonstrate respect for rules.

- People throughout United States history have collaborated and compromised to achieve common goals and be successful as good citizens.

2.1i - Take part in the voting process to make classroom

decisions. - Work in groups to determine actions that can

improve the school and community. - Create illustrations of rules that show respecting

and protecting the rights and property of others. - Identify the good citizenship skills of selected

individuals who had an impact on the lives of Americans and how these skills impacted the contributions they made.

- Identify how celebrating selected holidays is an example of practicing good citizenship skills.

2.1j - Developing fluency in social studies vocabulary

improves comprehension of verbal, written, and visual sources about United States history.

- Comprehending verbal, written, and visual sources involves using and interacting with a variety of Sources.

- Defending positions using content vocabulary involves the application of vocabulary to make an argument.

2.1j - Discuss the meaning of an individual’s right to life,

liberty, the pursuit of happiness and equality under the law.

- Read a variety of texts about Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, Cesar Chavez, and Martin Luther King Jr.. Explain how their contributions have changed the lives of Americans.

- View images of workers across the United States. Explain how people in the past and present made economic choices because resources, goods, and services were scarce.